Volatile liquids containing one or more active materials wherein the active material comprises at least one of a fragrance; an insecticide; a fungicide; a pesticide; a sanitising material; and/or a pharmaceutical are delivered within the domestic environment via a variety of mechanisms. Devices are available with heaters disposed therein to increase the rate of emanation from a surface saturated with the liquid, such a surface could be a wick saturated with a fragranced liquid and the heater is located adjacent the wick surface and nearby a chimney to heat the liquid on the wick surface and cause it to more readily evaporate and disseminate into the surrounding environment through the chimney.
Alternatively such volatile liquids can be loaded into an aerosol canister wherein the canister holds the liquid under pressure and when a valve is opened the liquid is forced out. The liquid is provided with a propellant which evaporates inside the canister to maintain an even pressure and, outside the canister, assist with the mechanical break up of the liquid by evaporating rapidly. Suitable propellants include volatile hydrocarbons such as propane, butane or isobutane.
Aerosols generally provide a satisfactory spray performance but since they require manual operation by a user, they are not considered to be particularly convenient for routine use.
Automatic aerosol activation devices exist for operation with metered dose aerosols containing a single phase volatile liquid and propellant mixture. These devices are operable to periodically actuate the aerosol to cause a dose of the liquid to be sprayed.
Whilst the automation of the aerosol spraying devices overcomes the problem of manual operation of an aerosol canister, the use of aerosols containing such propellants is becoming increasingly less desirable since these volatile hydrocarbons carry the disadvantage of being flammable, the rising cost of oil is rendering them increasingly expensive and they also carry the further disadvantage of being an atmospheric source of carbon which is deemed to not be environmentally sensitive.
There are other known emanation devices using alternative emanation methodologies such as nebulisation techniques using a piezo-actuated apparatus for instance.
All of the known emanation devices and methodologies of emanation possess advantages and disadvantages with respect to each other that will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art as well as the ultimate consumer. However, invariably the consumer is faced with a dilemma when purchasing any particular emanation device as the emanation method employed by the emanation device under consideration is not the only factor the consumer must also consider, the consumer must also consider the availability and range of refills of volatile liquids to be used with said device. In the field of air freshening in particular where the range of fragrances the consumer can select for use with the device is a key point of purchase consideration for the consumer, a small range of fragrances and/or fear that the refill range may not be supported in the long term may affect the consumer's true freedom of choice. The present invention addresses this and other problems.